Light-Touch-Induced Afterdischarge Firing in the Superficial Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons in Hairless Mice with Irritant Contact Dermatitis

The skin is an important barrier that protects against invasion by foreign substances, including irritants and harmful microorganisms, and holds water in the body. Washing the skin with cleansers and shampoos containing anionic surfactants, for example sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), is important for maintaining skin homeostasis. However, surfactants can cause dermatitis, cutaneous hypersensitivity (e.g., alloknesis), and pruritus in humans. Our previous studies revealed an alloknesis response in the skin with SDS-induced dermatitis in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, we found that alloknesis responses and afterdischarge responses following stimulation with light touch are related because they are observed contemporaneously. In this study, we used Hos:HR-1 hairless mice to establish a mouse model to evaluate long-term drug application for alloknesis responses. Alloknesis was observed in HR-1 mice with SDS-induced dermatitis. The mean number of c-Fos (a marker of neural activity) immunopositive neurons was increased in the lamina 1-2 (L1-2) spinal dorsal horn, but not in L3-4, of SDS-treated HR-1 mice compared to vehicle-treated mice. We also discovered that afterdischarge responses were observed in neurons in L1-2. There was also a correlation between the intensity of the afterdischarge responses and depth of the recording site. Thus, the following were suggested: 1) neurons that mediate these afterdischarge responses are located on the superficial layer of the spinal cord; 2) afterdischarge responses can be an index of alloknesis responses, and 3) the mouse model of SDS-induced dermatitis is an appropriate alloknesis model.